Life and bloody career of the executed criminal, James Copeland, the great Southern land piratePitts, J. R. S. (James Robert Soda)
History
Life and bloody career of the executed criminal, James Copeland, the great Southern land pirate
Pitts, J. R. S. (James Robert Soda)
Copeland, James, 1823-1857; Criminals -- Gulf States -- Biography
The witnesses who had been previously summoned, were now called forth
to testify to the hand-writing of the John R. Garland letter, as well
as to the general character of S. S. Shoemake, as to whether or not
his being a man of truth and veracity. After examining the letter,
several of them expressed, according to the best of their knowledge,
that the hand-writing was S. S. Shoemake’s; and also, from his general
character, they could not believe him on oath. But another witness
called for and introduced, Cornelius McLamore, gave still stronger and
more decisive testimony. No man could have had greater facilities for
thoroughly understanding all about Shoemake than Cornelius McLamore.
He, without any doubt whatever declared the hand-writing to be,
undoubtedly, S. S. Shoemake’s, and that he for another could not
believe him on oath.
M’LAMORE FELL A VICTIM TO THE VENGEANCE OF THE CLAN.
This is the same gentleman treated of in another place, who so
mysteriously disappeared the evening after the trial, and, from that
time to the present, has never more been heard of. Whatever fate he met
with, no one has ever been able to tell; but from all the circumstances
connected, it must be almost certain to the thinking mind of all
that he was cruelly murdered by the conspiring clan, who had so long
maintained a sad career of blood and revenge, with all the practiced
modes of concealment.
The following is an extract from a letter dated DeKalb, May 21st, 1871,
written by a prominent gentleman and ex-Sheriff of the county in which
the town of DeKalb is situated:
“There has never been any person living in the county by the name of
John R. Garland. Mr. McLamore has never been heard of since the time
he was a witness in your case, during the month of February or March,
1859.”
Two powerful motives predominated for the termination of his existence.
The first, the unrelenting revenge for the crushing defeat he gave to
others, and particularly to Shoemake while on the witness-stand. And
secondly, to prevent an indictment for perjury against Shoemake; for
it will be remembered that he swore positively to the hand writing of
Shoemake, who had immediately before denied the same on oath in open
court. These two considerations, together with having just sold his
cotton, the money for which he had then in his possession, will account
for his presumptive murder. No one could better understand the hand
writing of Shoemake than Cornelius McLamore, for, as the defendant
has been authoritatively informed, the former was during some time
book-keeping for the latter.
G. Y. OVERALL PROVES AN ALIBI
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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